Senate Bans Internet Access Taxes

(Washington) By a vote of 93 to 3, the US Senate voted to restore a ban on state and local taxation of Internet connection services. A provision was included to allow some states already collecting the levies to continue, but these must be phased out within two years. Excluded from the ban was taxation of Voice Over Internet Protocol, or VOIP, which allows consumers to make telephone calls over the Internet.

Voting against the bill were Democratic Sens. Jeff Bingaman, N.M.; Bob Graham, Fla.; and Frank Lautenberg, N.J. Four senators missed the vote: Bob Bennett, R-Utah; John Breaux, D-La.; Jim Bunning, R-Ky.; and John Kerry, D-Mass.

A Kerry spokeswoman said he would have voted for the bill.

No response was received to the question of whether Sen. Kerry would have voted for the bill before or after he voted against the bill.